Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

निद्रादरिद्रनयना स्वप्नेपि न तवाननम् । आनंदि सर्वथा यन्मे मंदभाग्या विलोकये

Transliteration

nidrādaridranayanā svapnepi na tavānanam | ānaṃdi sarvathā yanme maṃdabhāgyā vilokaye

Translation

My eyes are bereft of sleep; even in dreams I do not behold your face. Yet whenever, in any manner, I glimpse it, I am filled with joy, though my fortune is small.

Word by Word

• nidrā-daridra-nayanā: having eyes deprived of sleep
• nidrā-daridra-nayanā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nidrā (प्रातिपदिक) + daridra (प्रातिपदिक) + nayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बहुपद): nidrā-daridra = ‘निद्रया दरिद्र’ (sleep-poor); तत्पुरुषः: nidrā-daridra-nayanā = ‘निद्रादरिद्रनयना’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• svapne: in a dream
• svapne: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Modifier (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• na: not
• na: Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• ānanam: face
• ānanam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ānaṃdi: I rejoice
• ānaṃdi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nand (नन्द्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; छान्दस/वैदिक-रूपेण ‘आनन्दि’ = ‘आनन्दामि’ (I rejoice)

• sarvathā: in every way
• sarvathā: Modifier (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (in every way)

• yat: because
• yat: Hetu (Cause marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययवत् ‘यत्’ (because/that which); अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) / चतुर्थी (4th) एकवचन-रूपम्; अत्र षष्ठी—‘मे’ = ‘my’

• manda-bhāgyā: I, the unfortunate one
• manda-bhāgyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manda (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāgya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: manda-bhāgyā = ‘मन्दं भाग्यं यस्याः सा’ (poor-fortuned); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vilokaye: I see/behold
• vilokaye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√lok (लोक्)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

A royal mother/queen (rājapatnī), speaking to her son

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (implicit)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sleepless eyes, hollowed by longing, suddenly brighten upon a rare vision of the beloved face—joy flooding the figure despite self-professed unworthiness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana—truly seeing the beloved or revered—brings immediate inner joy even amid suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named explicitly; the verse supports the broader Kāśī theme where darśana is central to merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated.